Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Remember how I told you there would be an upcoming review from Joovy? Well, well, well. Now is the time. First I have to take you back to the beginning of May… If you follow us at all on Facebook then you will remember that we were vacationing in WDW at that time. (Yes, we busted Banjo out of school to hit Disney before the crowds got crazy.) Joovy sent us theBabaSling before we left on our trip.

I’ve always liked to do the whole baby wearing thing, so was ecstatic to take it with us on our pre summer vacation. Plus, theBabaSling is uber chic looking, so I’d be styling. But then I got to thinking that I wouldn’t use it all that much, because we were after all taking our Joovy Caboose stroller. Cache would just sleep in the main seat of the stroller, Ruby would sit/stand on the platform, and Banjo would walk. That was the plan. And all went according to plan…

For about half of our first day in the magical world of mouse.

At first all was right in the world. Baby Cache just road along sleeping, Ruby was more entertained by jumping off of her seat on the “train” and running around before getting back “all aboard”, and Banjo was quite content to walk along with his cousins. Then EVERYTHING deviated from the plan!

Ruby became a hot mess and didn’t want to ride on the platform any longer.

She wanted to SLEEP.

Need I remind you that this was our very first day in the most magical kingdom on earth? And Banjo? Well, he grew tired of walking. He grew tired very fast.

What happened? Where did we go wrong? Well, for starters we should have purchased a Joovy Big Caboose Triple stroller before heading Orlando. That would have been the solution. However already being in Florida when we made this discovery… We didn’t have that option. We will definitely know for next time. But since I had the handy, dandy BabaSling all was right again in the world!

The hammock style of the sling was perfect for carrying tiny Cache and the comfort padding… perfect for my bum shoulder. The shoulder I’ve had surgery on twice and I’m now a candidate for a total shoulder replacement. What? I’ve never told you about that before? Yeah. Remind me to tell you sometime all about my shoulder problem. 😉

This sling carried Cache all over the parks.

He was able to meet all the characters just like the big kids.

Can you believe that Stitch actually sports a Dandy Giveaway logo??? 😉

As you can see from our vacation photos we have it in Scarlet Red. I can’t tell you how many compliments I received on it while at WDW. Too many to count. One stranger just came up to me to say, “That’s a nice looking sling!” Why, yes. Yes it is. 🙂

Since Disney I’ve been using the BabaSling all over the place. Particularly on the 4th of July at the lake.

It was a long day. The BabaSling put Cache right to sleep.

It’s my hero.

*This posting and review are sponsored by Joovy, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Hey Dandy Fans! Today I have the cutest most genius giveaway for you today! I can’t tell you how many times my girlfriends have put their adorable kiddies in the cutest outfit and BAM! the most narliest (yes that’s a word now 😉 ) blow out just destroys that super cute outfit. There is not much you can do to prevent it and they end up in their plain white onsie.

“A poopsies® is a unique onesie for babies that contain a special lining made of waterproof, breathable material that effectively protects against diaper leaks and blowouts, saving time and money for busy parents.”

The lining inside the Poopsie Onesie holds inside the leakage/blowout. Now if you get grossed out by baby blow outs then skip the next few images, but if not check out the amazingness of this onesie!!

Amazing huh?! It’s almost a mama’s dream, oddly 😉

Now their fabrics are amazingly soft! I had my Poopsie Onesie laying out on our dresser and a client had stopped by and of course it caught her eye. She couldn’t believe how soft the fabric was. And the lining of the bottom was just as soft. The lining is waterproof and very breathable. No rashes or uncomfortable rubbing on the bum.

I was able to review this darling ‘Shobi‘ onesie and have to admit that I let out a “Aahhh” when I opened the package. It is so cute for being a onesie that is specifically for blow outs/leakage. I am not a fan of just plain one onesie’s so I was excited to see all the variety that Poopsies has to offer. They have long sleeve, short sleeve, lots of colors and stripes! I highly recommend checking out their sites and at least ordering one (you will be hooked!) to try out. You won’t regret it!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

The littlest one recently turned 3 months old. On Easter Sunday we finally broke him out of confinement to attend church. He had been out a few times since his birth, but NEVER to church. I had just been staying home with him on Sundays while my Audi husband took the older kids. There’s just too many people at those types of places. Too many sick people. Well, potentially sick people. You get the idea. I’m super particular about when my babies can be around the general population. Especially when the date of birth is during cold and flu season. It’s hard enough to keep the littlest from catching something from his older siblings so why quadruple the exposing him to hundreds of people at one time? Now that you know that I’m a major germaphobe then I’m sure it’s not surprising that we didn’t having his blessing until he was 3 months old! We had the blessed day on Sunday, May 4th and here he is in his white attire:

He’s just getting so big! With his little rolls of baby fat… It’s like he’s not a newborn anymore and it makes me start to wonder if he will be my last newborn. *sniff* All of my babies have been formula fed. That does tend to bulk ’em up. This little guy is no exception.

I sincerely hope that I don’t get some major flack from the announcement that I just made. About the formula. Not that I have to explain anything, but I will. 😉 I most definitely know that breast is best and was devastated that it just didn’t work out the way I would have liked. So maybe in some ways my proclamation will be beneficial to someone out there. One of my readers somewhere. Or a friend of yours. My battle and decision to go with formula came not from a lack of trying. I tried. I tried hard. I visited countless lactation specialists with baby Banjo. He was not gaining weight. It wasn’t working. He was at risk for complications from not gaining weight. After much deliberation and supplementation we decided to go to formula only. I was stressed. I wasn’t sleeping. I’d try to nurse… Then I’d pump… Then we’d (my husband and I) bottle feed the breast milk… Then we’d bottle feed the formula… Then we’d clean the pump parts… Then the process would start all over an hour later. I was exhausted. My husband was exhausted. It was a nightmare. Going to exclusively formula for Banjo was a difficult decision, but it was a good decision. It’s what worked best for our family. If you happen to be in a similar situation… No one can blame you and you don’t need to blame yourself. Everyone is different. We all make different decisions. Breastfeeding just doesn’t work for everyone and that’s okay. I’m glad that there are options. Options that are best for the baby. So if I helped just one person today… I’m glad that I made my announcement.

Now about Ruby. Remember she was born a month early. She struggled with feedings due to her own medical reasons. We went to formula. Both times I felt a sense of devastation. I felt like a bad mother. I had to Let. It. Go. It took some time and I honestly didn’t get to enjoy being the mom of a newborn. I felt stressed about the breastfeeding not working. With this baby my husband and I both decided we weren’t going to go down that path again. The baby is healthy. I’m healthy. My family is happy. Sometimes we have to do what is best for everyone. For the entire family. We are good.

With the birth of a new baby came some gifts from my friends over at Joovy. I love reviewing items for Joovy, because they have so many great items for baby! Strollers. Highchairs. Slings. Potty chairs. You name it and they got it. 🙂 Joovy has now entered the world of glass baby bottles. Just fyi… Joovy also has BPA free plastic baby bottles, but my heart belongs to the glass ones. I think I’m just drawn to the look of them:

And those fun silicone sleeves in a selection of different colors! Isn’t it pretty?

What’s also so great about the Boob baby bottle from Joovy is the specially designed nipple. Sure it works great for babies who are exclusively formula fed. Like my baby. But at the same time it’s perfect (I’ve heard from my breastfeeding friends) for babies who receive nourishment from both breast and bottle. The baby doesn’t get confused going back and forth. So the bottle is a win-win for all babies. Pay no attention to the tired looking momma in the picture:

(Or the March Madness brackets hanging up behind us.)

My little guy is thriving and I’m grateful for the Joovy Boob baby bottle. The bottles are durable and easy to clean.

As in go in the dishwasher easy to clean.

Going. Going.

Gone.

Stay tuned for another great product from Joovy…

The BabaSling

*This posting is a review for Joovy. I did receive the above products to conduct the review, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

When I told my husband that one of the first things I wanted for our baby was a baby carrier, he kind of looked at my funny. We had asked around to some of our friends who had kids and about 50% of them used one and about 50% had no clue what those were (the 50% who didn’t know what they were, were a little bit older 😉 ) I had seen ones you can make on pinterest but was so nervous about the quality that my baby would slip right through or it would really start hurting my back. I just knew I wanted something durable, supportive (didn’t strain my back) and cute of course.

The creators of Boba love to travel. And when I mean love, they picked up their two kids and traveled the world for a bit. They loved sharing this time with their kids. But you can imagine constantly having a backpack on and a baby on one hip and holding the others hand, your hands get a little tied up. So they created ‘Boba’ a unique way of carrying your child with having both hands free.

Boba has many different carriers to choose from. You know me and variety, I love that I had different types to choose from for different ages/sizes of my baby. They Offer:

Boba Carrier 4G: Designed to adapt to the situation your in. You can wear it in the front or back and is designed to go into toddlerhood

Boba Air: Lightweight and ergonomic. Easy to fold up, zip and store it in your car

Boba Wrap: Designed for new borns to 18 months. Free of buckles and snaps. Simply tie around you and keep the baby nice and snug against your body.

Boba Vest: Designed to fit over your other Bobas. Made to keep you and baby nice and warm on those cooler days.

I was able to try out the Boba wrap and was seriously amazed!! I even had my cousin slip into it and she was amazed!

It was so easy to put on. After the first time of reading the instructions and getting some help, by the second time I was able to slip it on myself and put the baby in without any help. Which is nice for when you are flying solo with baby.

I really liked how snug it was around the baby and myself. If she was cold she kept her arms close into me and once she got a little warmer she just slipped them out and was so content. Also, it didn’t hurt my back! I was a little worried with carrying her on the front of me and thinking their wouldn’t be a lot of support. But the tightness and how much fabric there was made it nice and snug and held up right.

As you can see there was a lot of extra fabric hanging. Of course it will vary from person to person, but I think next time I’ll just wrap the extra around my waist so it’s just not dangling there.

Not only did it check everything off my list for the important things (i.e comfort, tight, supportive) but the fabric is nice and thick and has a darling pattern on it. They offer simple colors and this pattern. Variety people 😉 It was so nice to have my hands free to do other things. We even did a small test run/dance around the house. She loved it and the Boba stayed right in place!!

I highly recommend purchasing your wraps/carriers from Boba. It passed with flying colors in my book! Check them out on their social media sites:

For our giveaway today, Boba is being extremely amazing and giving away a 4G carrier, Wrap and Boba Air (3 separate winners) I am stoked for you guys!!! Remember, the more steps you do then the more entries you will have, which will increase your chances of winning! Good luck!!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

A new baby in the house is such a blessing, but always brings some new and interesting challenges. Adjustments abound around here! The two olders are getting used to the newest little and so are mom and dad. 🙂 Overall I think we are all transitioning nicely. Sometimes. Okay I’m not going to lie to you. Some days are better than others. Some days are hard. Today was especially hard. Who knew that three children would be so challenging??? I thought we had things all figured out and then wham-o we are back to square one. It’s one big adjustment and it’s probably going to be this way for some time. Will it get easier? Sure it will. For now I just need to take it a day at a time. In addition to the big changes in our family number came other things that I hadn’t thought about in a while. With the new baby came the need for additional baby necessities. The essentials. Things that baby absolutely needs to have outside of the womb. Things like receiving blankets. You can never have enough of those! Babies go through blankets on a daily basis. Practically more often than clothing. So having the an adequate amount of receiving blankets… Okay an abundance of receiving blankets is a definite NEED. That’s why when Saranoni offered to send us the below set of muslin blankets I jumped for joy!

Isn’t he darling?

Saranoni selected to send the stripe and the solid blue that’s in the background. And let me tell you… These blankets are a necessity! Super soft. I mean it’s muslin. Super durable. Double layers of muslin. Super dandy. Plus, the set is perfect color wise for my little guy. Good choice, Saranoni! 🙂

Saranoni also has some other gorgeous blankets that look super luxurious:

Basically I’ve decided that Saranoni can’t create an ugly blanket. It’s not possible. They are all just so, so cute and totally unique!

Who wants to win one??? The winner of this giveaway is going to receive his or her very own…

2-Pack Double Layer Muslin Set in Blue Stripes/Blue Solid. Just like mine!

(Enter on the Rafflecopter below.)

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of May 12th and will be emailed. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by Saranoni, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

The end of July we went on our annual vacation to Lake Powell. It’s in Utah/Arizona and always a family reunion of sorts. ALL of us stay on a houseboat for an entire week and there are A LOT of us.

This time around there were 28 of us. Again… all on one house for a week. Fortunately for us it’s a big houseboat. 🙂

It’s always a fun trip, but this year it was also very eventful! The second night we were all surprised when my niece’s boyfriend (who joined us at the lake this year…brave boy) proposed! It was great news and we were all very happy. After that how could the trip get even more eventful you ask???

Well, the very next day my brother-in-law and his wife received a phone call (on the boat) from the adoption agency they have worked with in the past. They have been on the waiting list for quite a few years to adopt again and to no avail. Out of nowhere a birth mother selected them to adopt her 10 month old twins! It has been over 5 years since their last adoption and we were all ecstatic by the fabulous news. So now in addition to their two girls they have another girl and a boy!

My friends over at Joovy wanted to be involved in the blessed union of adoption and welcoming the newest additions to our family. They are the experts on baby gear and knew that twins require double the gear.

Joovy was nice enough to send my brother-in-law and his wife a fantastic welcome home gift for their twins. The Caboose Too Ultralight!

Aren’t they adorable? My sister-in-law said that it’s the perfect stroller for doubles. It’s really light weight and the back seat can easily be converted to a tandem for when the babies are older. Most importantly due to the positioning of the seats the babies aren’t able to pull each others hair! We were able to officially meet the little cuties last weekend at the wedding of our niece. They of course had their Caboose stroller in tow. 🙂

Oh and here’s a picture of the bride and groom with the happy parents of the bride looking on admiringly at all of their children.

Love them all!

Thanks again Joovy for sending the stroller to my family and helping to congratulate them on their newest additions!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

“Parenting is hard. We make stuff to make it easier.”

Isn’t it nice to know someone understands you and has your back as a parent? Today’s set of helpful parenting tools comes from MAM, an innovative company that develops baby products that are not only approved by parents, but medical professionals and developmental psychologists as well. So basically, you know their products are going to be the most effective and the best for you and your baby.

I chose to review two products by MAM, the Bite and Relax Phase 2 Teether, and the Learn to Brush Toothbrush Set. First I’ll start with the teether. Since I no longer have a teething baby, I gave the teether to a friend whose baby was having major teething issues and she gratefully accepted. Here’s her review:

“The teether is awesome. She really struggled with it for a couple weeks. She wanted to put the whole thing in her mouth like a pacifier, because it is made to be able to do so. She choked on it a lot at first. But she’s never taken a pacifier. Once she got the hang of it she loves it! She loves the different textures that she can rub on her gums. The different textures keep her interested much longer than if it was one texture. Developmentally it is definitely easier for her to use now that she’s 6 months, as she now has better control of her little fingers.”

And here’s her little cutie!

I have a baby who (oddly enough) LOVES to brush her teeth, so I kept the toothbrush set for myself. The toothbrush set comes with two toothbrushes; the Training Brush with a long handle so parent and baby can brush baby’s teeth together, and the First Brush with a shorter, fatter handle for baby to brush by herself. Both brushes are meant for ages 6+ months, but I don’t think my daughter was wanting to brush on her own until she was at least a year old.

My daughter loved both brushes, but especially loved the First Brush because the chubby, knobby handle was easy for her to hold and use on her own. I liked the long handle on the Training Brush because it made it easier to help her get to her back teeth. MAM makes oral care products for infants through toddlers, and you can get some great oral care advice on their website here.

MAM products can be purchased at both online retailers and stores nation-wide. Sign up for the “MAM Club” at mambaby.com today to be the first to know about special promotions, new product introductions and more. In fact, right now there is a coupon for $3.00 off of any MAM anti-colic bottle on MAM’s Facebook page. The coupon will expire on 11/30/2013 and there will be a limited amount of downloads available for this great deal from MAM, so head over there and download it now! You can also enter to win the same Toothbrush Set and Teether that I reviewed by entering below!

Enter to win a Toothbrush Set and Teether from MAM!

** The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the morning of October 14th, 2013, and will be emailed within 24 hours. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

** This posting and giveaway were sponsored by MAM, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Banz is all about protecting kids. Keeping them safe for sun and more! In the past I’ve featured Banz sunglasses, Banz Ear Muffs (hearing protection), and more. I love how this company takes care of me kiddos. This summer they sent us some UV protection swimwear and it came in such handy. Sure it’s wonderful for any outdoor setting of water: pool, lake, slip n slide, etc. In our case we headed to Lake Powell last month to spend a week on the family’s house boat. Lots of time in the sun let me tell you!

So… We went aboard, found a nice beach to play on the entire week, and got into our protective swimwear! Here’s our little goofball modeling his Banz swimwear:

He thinks the sharks all over them are ultra cool and the whole ensemble allowed him to have fun while being protected from the dangerous rays:

Banz even has great swimwear for the little girls:

Toddlers:

And babies:

Ready to enter to win???

One lucky winner is going to receive a children’s swim set of choice from Banz! If your child is under 2 years of age then you can opt for a one piece suit and swim nappy.

Enter on the Rafflecopter below.

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of August 26th and will be emailed. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.*This posting and giveaway were sponsored by Banz, but all opinions are strictly my own.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Joovy. You’ve heard that name lots on this blog. It’s by far my most favorite company for baby gear. Most importantly I love being a Joovy Blogger! All of their products are high quality and the perfect necessity for a family on the go. A few months back I was in charge of being a liaison between sponsor and a Twitter party with Revolt Fitness and Larry King! It was a fun party, but a lot of work! Fortunately Joovy wanted to be involved with the getting healthy evening, because they donated a Zoom 360 to be given away during the party. What a fantastic prize, right? It’s made from aircraft grade aluminum. Making it super light and truly the perfect jogging stroller to own:

How cool are the features on this jogger:

Plus, it comes in a multitude of colors: Blue, Red, and Black.

And who won that dream of a jogging stroller at the Twitter party??? Well, that would be Shannon Schleif! She bloggers over at byrdy1999. What does she have to say about her prize? “I love it both me and my sister use it. It works great for jogging and walking!”

Thanks again Joovy for being involved in the Twitter party and giving away such a great prize!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

How I wish this high chair had existed in 2008, because we would have bought it:

Fortunately for us my friends over at Joovy sent us our newbie in 2013!

I love how they take just such good care of me! 🙂

The high chair we purchased when Banjo was a wee babe has definitely not withstood the test of time. If someone had told me that the plastic would turn yellow I would have listened. Also, the seat of our first high chair wasn’t quality looking at all, so I should have known that it wouldn’t hold up. But the Nook from Joovy?

Now it’s high quality and is quite stylish. It’s sleek design fits perfectly in our little nook in our kitchen!

This beauty is definitely not just a highchair. The seat is far too comfy for that!

It’s not just a place to eat either. It’s also an entertainment chair.

Can you tell that Ruby love it, too?

My favorites about this sweet chair…

The cup holder and removable tray insert.

Also, how with just the press of a button the tray swings open making my life so much easier when getting Ruby in and out of the chair!

Plus, the leatherette seat cover comes off and can be put in the washing machine!

Yep so much to love about the new Joovy Nook Highchair. It folds flat for travel:

And like all the Joovy products the Nook comes in a bunch of fun colors: